The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 24

24 Yorkton Film Festival The Leader-Post Regma, Saskatchewan Monday, November 19, 1979 Morse says entries superb For film-maker Dick Bird those were indeed the days 1 ft 4 II A 6 1 ICK 1 IUV'AS'vt' is WW If ff JfWI I fmsmmmmwimmmm 'Skim "7 Tlat'ir 'it's Leader-Post photo by Ron Hulse ism Dick with his wife Ada mm mMMzmsmmk YOKKTON For the first time in the history of the Yorkton International Film Festival there was no over-all winner among the many awards announced during Saturday evening's awards ceremony. Harry Morse, one of the adjudicators, awarded the top golden sheaf to all the entrants, enthusiasts and to everyone who had helped with this year's festival. "We have been so stunned, so impressed by the high level of the 130 films we viewed from among the 150 entrants, we felt it would be slighting, insidious and in some ways grotesque to select one production as the best," lie said. "By doing that we felt we would have been attempting to try and out-all-mighty the All-Mighty." The ajudicators, film critic Natalie Ldwards, film-maker Richard Lavoie and actor Morse, were able to select 18 winning films in 15 categories as well as seven craft award winners and all received bronze statues of the newly desgned golden sheaf. David McFarlane, a 16-year-old boy afflicted with Downs' Syndrome won the best actor award for his protrayal of himself in the CBC drama One Of Our Own.

Johanne llinterseer won the best actress award for her performance of a young Greek girl in the International Telefilm production of Nikkolina. Significantly both acting awards went to children in this, the International Year of the Child. Nikkolina. produced by Glen Saltsman and Rebecca Yates, also shared the special award for the best children's film with Beverly Schaffer's production, Benoit. The presentation of the award was made by Brian Bainchaud who played the young boy in the movie version of O.

Mitchell's novel, ho Has Seen The Wind. Double winner The Case of Barbara Parsons, a Parker Film directed by Morton Parker, was a double winner collecting the golden sheaf for best drama and the craft award for the best directed film. Contact, a film made by the Ontario Kducation and Communication Authority, won in the category of the best safety and health film and was also selcted as the best edited film. The editing was done by Arnie Zipursky. The National Film Board's (NFB) representatives were kept busy during the evening, collecting 11 golden sheafs.

The Saskatchewan Film Pool Co-operative's film. Razor In The Wind, directed by Steven Surjik was chosen as the best short drama. The adjudicators also inserted an additional category and selected L'Affaire Bronsw ik. produced and directed by Robert Auad and Andre Leduc as the best comedy film. Other winners included: Leadet-Poit pliolo Two of the adjudicators, Natalie Edwards and Barry Morse By Ron Hulse of The Leader-Post YOKKTON DUk Bird is pioneering cituMiKUofflaplier hose piission lor recording events on film kept him iit this trade from Hie time he was 17 during the a no of the hand erankeel camera until his retirement in the early 19Wls.

Bird, 87, is a paunchy, grey-haired man whose recollections of his lengthy career are as detailed as the many films he produced. "The memories lie has are racing around in his head and are so strong lie feels his speech blocks him from being able to tell you everything he actually remembers," says Ada Bird, his wife of 33 years. "Sometimes he skips from event to event, missing a few details in between." But despite the occassional confusion over details, he was still able to deliver a portion of his memories during a rambling one-hour speech Friday evening which he gave while being honored by the Yorkton International Film Festival. Born in England in 1882, his first experience in film came in 1904 while holidaying in London with his father. Bird said he remembers watching a man i Freeze Greene, one of Britain's prioneering cinematographersi film the holiday activities in Green Park.

"Being rather a bold youth, I asked him if I could help and it was then he opened up this box he had sitting on a tripod nd took out a small container. "That was the first time I ever saw the interior of a cinematograph," Bird said. lie helped Greene the rest of the day. following him around the park carrying the film containers in a bag. Three year later he managed to "hornswoggle" his parents into letting him travel to the U.S.

to live with his uncle his mother's brother in Vermont on the shores of Lake Cliamplain. He once travelled to New York to the Thanhouser Studios where he was told if he wanted to make cinematography his living he should buy a camera and start work. He later bought his first cinematograph, a hand cranked French model called a Gaumont which he was able to buy with tlie help of a 10 pound Bank of Fngland note sent to him by his parents for his birthday. The camera, which he still has, cost $58. Bird said fie spent many hours twisting the crank to familiarize himself with the rhythm of two revolutions each second.

Light frames each turn exposed one negative fool of film. "In 1911 I sold my first news weekly subject made in Daytona Beach. Florida, on Barry Oldfield who set land speed records driving his Bliten Renz 131 in. h. to the Hcarst-Selig News He came to Saskatchewan during the war where he set up a studio and made prints from a standard 35 mili metre negative to 28 milimetre saletv print film for the provincial government to be used in schools and libraries.

Bird now lives in Regina Beach i since 19li2i having retired from a lengthy career of lecturing alter he stopped pro ducing films. Many of those films are kept on the Dick Bird shelf in the National Film Archives in Ottawa. One film. The Ukraine, made in 1928 was shown Friday evening prior to his speech. After speaking he apologized for taking up so much tune.

"I'm very much concerned about the history of it anil when I get started on this business, I can't stop." One bitter memory occurred in Chicago while Bird was trying to film a convention of the Independent Filmmakers of America. "1 had set my camera up across the street from the convention building and 1 was waiting for the delegates to come out "I had a Williamson at the time, a real beauty made from mahogany with brass corners on it and my first camera with lilt and pan capabilities," he said. He left the camera temporarily to remove an obstacle in his line of vision when "goons" hired by the Motion Pic-lures Patents Corporation came by and "blew the guts out of it." The independent film makers later passed the hat to collect $100 towards the cost of the camera, but Bird said he'll never forget the incident. He worked for the Animated Press Syndicate of New York. Scenic Film and Cartoon Studios in Atlanta.

Theatre Advertising fctudio in New Orleans, and Pan American Studios also in New Orleans to name just a few companies before coming to Canada in 1914 where he covered the mobilization of the Canadian troops. He returned to the U.S. briefly before coming back to work in Canada for Canadian Pictorial Weekly, doing news assignments. Among tiis other accomplishments, he organized the Canadian Press Photographers Union and served as the first president of it and the Cinematograpliers Union local 63G. Best travel and adventure film: Ski Peru, produced by John Pedersen and directed by Art Makosinski for Pickwau-ket Films Best sports and recreational film: Le Pilier De Cristal, produced by Marc Beaudet and directed by Marc Hebert for the NFB Best television and public affairs film; Chasing AnEclipse, produced by Jerry Krepakevich.

directed by Ian Llkin and Norma Bailey for the NFB. Best experimental film; Travel 1ig, produced by Tom Daly and directed by Donald Winkler for the NFB Best animated film; (two winners i This is Your Museum Speaking, produced and directed by Lynn Smith for the NFB; and Blow Hard, produced by Chris Hinton and Brad easier for the NFB Best educational film; Taking Chances, directed by Robert Lang Best promotional film; The Miracle of Milk, directed by Kalle Lasn for Inter-uatonal Psychomedia Best documentary film; 12.0(H) Men, directed by Martin Duckworth for the NFB Best visual essay; After Life, directed by Ishu Palel and produced by Derek Lamb Best art film; Harrison's Yukon, directed by Shelah Reljic for the NFB Best cinematography in a film; (two winners.) John Stoncman for his work in The Fragile Sea. a Mako film; and Jean Louis Frund for his ork in Le Grande Heron, and NFB film Best original music; Bettina Matk-hun for the song in The Hometow NFB film. Prior to the first award, Morse hail claimed the ceremonies would be a "thoroughly informal evening." But despite this claim there were a number of formalities and chief among them was the attendance of the and Mrs. Irvin Mcintosh.

LTV co-anchorman IIarvey Kirck was back for his second festival and was only one of many dignitaries to attend. "Too many such occasions as this are both joyless and irreverent," Morse said. "I came 4.000 miles and every inch of it was worth it. "Our feeling throughout this week is much like the situation of Alice in Wonderland when a crowd has gathered around her asking who has won the race of the turtles, and Alice says all have won. and all will have prizes we wish it were possible," he said.

"But will you take with you. those who have not won a bronze sheaf physicaly. the thought that you have won, just bv participating." IRJLSL Cat saves girl MOSCOW (CPi When Saslia L'hn-ova, 6, saw her first snake an adder in her grandparents' garden in the rural town of Serow she bent down to pick it up. As the snake hissed and prepared to strike, the family pet cat Mi sella leaped between the girl and the snake. Thecal, which has been awarded a testimonial for bravery, killed the snake with one bite behind the head, the news agency TASS reports.

Bar association honors MacKenzie NOTICE TO PARENTS An information survey concerning the proposed establishment of a "Type French Language Designated Program was recently distributed to all students from Kindergarten to Year who attend the Regina Catholic Schools. SALE! OUR $30.00 HELENE CURTIS UNIPERM R- IS NOW ONLY $21.50 Complete with cut, shampoo and styling If you did not receive this information survey, a copy may be obtained by telephoning 525-0591, ext. 28. The perm that's programmed for perfection, is now affordably priced If you've tried our salons you know. And if you've never met our talented permists.

you've got another treat coming. Call this minute for your appointment. SALE ENDS DEC. 1 79 AVIS AUX PARENTS YOKKTON i Staff i Donald A. Mackenzie, the sole survivor of the 1928 graduating law class from the University of Saskatchewan, was honored here Friday by the Yorkton, Wynyard, Melville Bar Association for more than 50 years service to the bar.

MacKenzie, who continues to practise law from his office in Ksterhazy, completed his fiftieth year on June 11, 1979. He articled under A. F. Bonce, the late chief justice of Saskatchewan in 1929. He set up his own practice in Ksterhazy in 1936, and served as mayor of the town, the first in the town's history.

"Your one dominant quality has been an obligation to help you fellow man." Stan Kyba, a member of the Yorkton, Wynyard. Melville Bar Association said. "You've been an inspiration to all of us," he said. MacKenzie told the dinner when he was told that he was being honored by the local bar association, he was curious. "1 couldn't think of what I hud dime for the association so Une enquete concernant I'establissement possible d'un programme "Type d' enseignement du francais, a ete' recemment distribuee a tous les eleves de la maternelle a la cinquieme annee qui frequentent les ecoles catholiques de Regina.

Si vous n'avez pas recu ce questionnaire, vous pouvez en obtenir une copie en composant le numero, 525-0591, ext. 28 CHRISTMAS Donald MacKenzie I decided I'd become the subject of antiquarian interest," MacKenzie said. "1 think now I'll just keep on practising and sit back at my desk and do no more than I have to. to keep myself busy." he said. MacKenzie was presented with a silver engraved serving plate by the local association.

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